Mahera Vazir Talks About Her Book “The Onion”

About the Author:

The Onion is written by sisters Iram Vazir and Mahera Vazir, whose combined work spans psychology, mental health, education, and therapeutic practice across the human lifespan. Their shared approach is grounded in one central belief: meaningful growth and healing can only occur when individuals are met as whole, complex beings rather than problems to be solved.
Together, the authors’ backgrounds inform a holistic and evidence-informed approach to self-guided reflection. Their work is influenced by therapeutic principles, trauma-aware practice, and learner-centered methodologies, while remaining accessible and compassionate rather than clinical or instructional. As sisters, they also bring a shared lived understanding of cultural expectation, generational influence, and the layered nature of womanhood, which underpins the book’s thematic focus on identity, conditioning, and self-discovery.
The Onion reflects the authors’ combined professional insight and lived experience, offering a space that validates complexity, encourages curiosity, and supports readers in exploring who they are beneath inherited narratives. It is written not from a place of authority over the reader, but from a position of informed companionship, shaped by years of working alongside individuals at different stages of life, learning, and emotional understanding.

Exclusive interview with the author

Q: What Inspired You To Write This Book?

A: What inspired us to write this book comes from our own life experiences and the world we hope our children will grow up in. A world where they can truly be themselves. We realized that people often struggle not because something is ‘wrong’ with them, but because they’ve lost touch with who they are under layers of roles, expectations, and pressure. Many tools for reflection and healing felt too clinical or prescriptive, rushing people toward answers instead of giving them space to simply be. The Onion came from our desire to create something gentler like a space that doesn’t tell you who to be, but helps you listen more closely to who you already are.”

Q: Can You Tell Us About The Book?

A:The Onion is a gentle guide to self-discovery, inviting readers to slow down and reconnect with who they are beneath life’s many layers. Through reflection, it creates space for curiosity, honesty, and compassion.

Q: What Does The Title Mean?

A: The onion symbolizes the layers we all carry. As we move through life, we take on roles, expectations, habits, and protections that help us survive, but over time they can also distance us from our core.For us, the onion represents self-discovery as a gentle, layered process. There’s no rush to get to the middle, and no single ‘true’ layer that defines you. Each layer holds meaning, and peeling them back is really about listening, not fixing. The title reflects our belief that understanding yourself happens slowly, with patience, curiosity, and compassion.

Q: What Did You Learn When Writing The Book?

A: We learned how essential individuality is, and that the foundation of starting anything begins with understanding yourself. Knowing who you are, what you desire, and what truly matters to you shapes every choice that follows. Writing the book reminded us that self-awareness isn’t a luxury, it’s the starting point.

Q: Was The Character Inspired By A Real Person?

A: The book itself was inspired by women, for women. Every woman, in her own way, serves as an inspiration for this book.